Pete Hoekstra: Why Are We Telling Enemies About New Weapons?

Two former members of Congress question why the United States would be tipping its hand by publicizing a new computer-killing weapon developed by the Air Force.

Pete Hoekstra, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Michael Flanagan, former U.S. Congressman from Illinois, appeared Wednesday on Newsmax TV's "Newsmax Prime." to discuss the pulse-generated beam that can destroy electronics with microwave energy.

"This administration is delighted to keep trade deals secret, but they'll tell you all of our secrets for the military," Flanagan said. "I don't understand it at all."

Hoekstra agreed, saying, "You would think that if you developed a new technology, a new capability, you'd really want to keep it under wraps, and you'd use it in warfare."

The United States might want to use the technology against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, he said, "and you'd want the enemy guessing as to who just knocked out our electronics."

Hoekstra also warned that the public announcement could spark a technology arms race with Russia, China and others.

"It leaves me speechless as to why this is out there. It's unbelievable," he said.

Flanagan said the technology is far superior to what he was around in the Army in the 1980s.

"I was a special weapons officer … but this is eons ahead of that," he said. "It has the ability to turn a 21st century army into a 19th century army in 10 minutes."

The two also discussed the release next week of the five top Taliban commanders after a year in the custody of Qatar. They were traded for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in June 2014.

Flanagan said the odds the men will return to terrorism is "somewhere between 100 percent."

"They're committed to it, they're dedicated to it, and we didn't re-educate them in Gitmo," he said. "They're not afraid of us, and they're off to do what they do best."

Hoekstra said he cuts President Barack Obama some slack for freeing the men to get an American soldier back, but added that "just about everybody, except maybe the Obama administration, figured out that … these people would be re-engaged to be reintegrated into attacking the U.S., and that's exactly what's going to happen."